A conventional one-way clutch is composed of an inner ring with sawtooth-shaped teeth disposed on the periphery thereof and an outer ring with claws engageable with the teeth of the inner ring. This one-way clutch permits the transmission of the one-way rotation of the inner ring to the outer ring by engaging the sawtooth-shaped teeth of the inner ring with the claws of the inner ring only when the inner ring is rotated in that direction. Conversely, when the inner ring is rotated in the reverse direction, the engagement of the inner ring with the outer ring is released to allow the inner ring to idle.
Further, there are known various kinds of engagement mechanism systems for engaging the inner ring with the outer ring, in addition to the above mechanism system having a combination of the claws with the sawtooth-shaped teeth. One such conventional engagement mechanism system includes, for example, a mechanism system having a combination of a groove with a plurality of balls.
It is to be noted herein that a conventional one-way clutch can scarcely be considered to be used for purposes other than as a one-way clutch.
Further, such a conventional one-way clutch requires the use of a material or mechanism that can prevent stress deformation in an engagement member when stress generated upon engagement of the inner ring with the outer ring is transmitted to the engagement member as it is with no buffer.
The present invention has been completed with the above facts taken into account and on the basis of the finding as will be described hereinafter. Therefore, the present invention has the object to provide a one-way clutch that can also be used as a torque detection apparatus and further that can buffer stress generated upon engagement of an engagement member. Further, the present invention has as an object to provide a torque detection apparatus using the one-way clutch according to the present invention.